Driving personality shares 'perfect first car' offering retro looks and good fuel economy
A well-known automotive expert has shared his thoughts on a popular used city car, stating it is ideal for young drivers with a limited budget.
A popular motoring personality has taken to YouTube to recommend a popular used model, stating it the perfect choice for young drivers on a budget.
Matt Richardson runs the Furious Driving YouTube channel, regularly posting videos in which he tests a wide range of modern and classic vehicles and shares his extensive collection of interesting models.
In a recent video, Matt gets behind the wheel of a 2011 Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge, stating that it is a good choice for anyone who is looking for style and technology for a reasonable price.
He explained: "So, why am I telling you that this is the best used car out there and you should buy one for your 17-year-old? Well, things are different from when I was 17, it's no longer about finding a £300 car to fix yourself. 17-year-olds these days want a bit more, like working air-con, airbags and all the good stuff that we never had.
"That costs money, except if you have one of the best-selling cars of the last decade and a half. This little Fiat 500 just sold for £1,500 and it's only got 89,000 miles on it, a full service history, new timing belt, new clutch, recent tyres. It has everything you want in a second-hand car."
Part of Fiat's range since 2007, the Fiat 500 is one of the best-selling city cars in recent history, with around 175,000 sold in Europe alone every year.
As a result, there are plenty of examples on the used car market, with older models typically priced from £1,500 and clean five-year-old 500s available for about £6,000 to £7,500.
In addition to the retro styling, which was inspired by the Fiat Nuova 500 of 1957, most models will feature a 1.2 petrol engine, which can average around 51.4mpg and is fairly affordable to insure.
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Whilst the YouTuber admitted that the rear seats on the Fiat 500 were rather cramped, Matt noted that the interior styling is very attractive and uses plenty of colour.
He continued: "Well, the interior really is a fantastic retro fest. If you like mid-century styling or just things that look a bit cool, quirky and different, this is the car for you. The Ford Ka is probably a more sensible option, but this just looks so good.
"We've got a fantastic 'tea shelf' area, that dashboard just goes on forever, and it has four cup holders in it. The dashboard is two-tone, with dark grey on the top that extends into the doors and lots of other colours to break it up. In this car, we've got blue fabric in the door cards and seats, while the tops of the seats are white vinyl that matches the A-pillars."
Taking to the roads, Matt suggested that the Fiat was designed to be incredibly easy to drive, with motorists able to change the lightness of the power steering.
He added: "In terms of driving, it is a very easy car. The steering has a little bit of weight in the power-assistance, though we do have Fiat's 'City Button' which makes things really, really light - personally, I find it alarmingly light.
"But, sitting so high up, we do have excellent visibility all around the car with that big glass area. It's got a really short bonnet, so parking is easy too. This thing's only 3.5 metres long and 1.6 metres wide, so finding a parking space for it is never going to be a problem."
